Hurricane Irene's Wrath is Headed this Way

Hurricane Irene is currently hitting the Bahamas and has the U.S. in its sights, according to The Weather Channel.

The Category 3 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale) is estimated to make its way to the East Coast Saturday or Sunday, possibly having a devastating impact on New Jersey and the surrounding areas.

"It now appears Irene may hug the coastline potentially making a landfall not too far east of New York City Sunday evening," reported Dale Eck, director of global forecast center for the Weather Channel.

"This new track means more people could have catastrophic impacts from Irene in the Northeast beginning Saturday night in southern Virginia and lasting into Monday in New England."

The possible impact of Hurricane Irene includes widespread trees downed and power outages.

for the damage Irene may inflict upon our area this weekend, according to a news release. The utility company issued some tips on how to prepare for the storm:

• Keep PECO's emergency telephone number (1-800-841-4141) handy                     
• Have a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home                     
• Have a battery powered clock and radio available 

It is suggested that anyone in the corridor from eastern North Carolina to the Northeast U.S. should be preparing for a hurricane.

Since there is still time to prepare, the Red Cross suggests having an emergency kit ready. Have bottled water on hand—one gallon per person, per day—and non-perishable food. Candles, matches, flashlights, extra batteries and a battery powered radio should be readily available.

If you have children or pets, the Red Cross suggests having bottles, formula, baby food and diapers ready, as well as your pet's leash, ID, food, carrier and water bowl.

For a full list of emergency preparedness tips, visit the Red Cross website, or view the PDF in the photo section of this article.

And Follow Hurricane Irene's path with the National Weather Service's map.